Java quake

The city of Yogyakarta, Indonesia was hit by a magnitude 6.2 earthquake about 5 hours ago. The quake was centered about 15 miles out of the center of the city, and the Modified Mercalli Intensity experienced in Yogyakarta was reported around VII, indicating that significant damage has occurred. The quake appears to be from a strike-slip mechanism. Because the oceanic plate subducting below Java does not move precisely perpendicularly to the subduction fault, occasionally quakes like this must occur to relieve parallel stress that accumulates. Because of the mostly horizontal nature of this quake, and the location of the epicenter near land or beneath shallow water, no notable tsunami was generated by this earthquake. The location of this quake was also very close to Mount Merapi, which is currently erupting. It will be interesting to learn whether this quake has affected the eruptive pattern of the volcano.